Merab Dvalishvili was released from a detention center early Friday morning following his arrest stemming from a hotel brawl involving PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.
RAF CEO & co-founder Chad Bronstein released an official statement announcing the latest development in the Dvalishvili saga.
According to Ariel Helwani, Bronstein played a major role in securing Dvalishvili’s freedom, working tirelessly alongside local authorities over a 48-hour window. Saba Lazishvili was also free, Helwani reported.
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Abu Dhabi police arrested eight people in response to the hotel brawl involving former Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov, among others.
Video of the incident emerged online Wednesday, along with a video message showing a bloodied Dvalishvili claiming he was attacked from behind by Nurmagomedov and several other men.
Both Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are slated to wrestle on RAF’s card this weekend. Dvalishvili is taking on former WSOF bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes while Umar Nurmagomedov — Usman Nurmagomedov’s brother — is scheduled to wrestle UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber at the same event.
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Neither fighter was present at Thursday’s RAF press conference, according to MMA Fighting, and RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein said he did not yet know the status of those matches. Bronstein did say that, regardless of whether the matches move forward, Usman Nurmagomedov would not be welcome at the event.
“Obviously, Usman will not be attending our event on Saturday night,” Bronstein said.
The brawl involving Dvalishvili and the Nurmagomedov brothers comes after months of hostility between the two camps. Dvalishvili defeated the elder brother, Umar, in a UFC bantamweight title clash early last year. The two sides have engaged in a war of words ever since, though this week’s incident was the most consequential clash yet, leaving several people visibly bruised and bloodied.
